Gas washer and scrubber



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

W. TRACY. GAS WASHER AND SGRUBBER.

No. 545,392. Patented Aug. 27, 1895.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. TRACY.

GAS WASHER AND SORUBBER.

No. 545,392. Patented Aug. 27, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

W'ILLIAM TRACY, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

' GAS WASHER AND SCRUBBER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,392, dated August2'7, 1895.

Application filed April 24, 1895.

To all whom it may cancer-n."

Be it known that I, WILLIAM TRACY, of Leavenworth, in the county ofLeavenworth and State of Kansas, have invent-ed certain new and usefulImprovements in Gas Washers and Scrubbers; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters of reference marked thercon,which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to the class of vertical gas washers and scrubbers,the gas entering at or near the bottom of the structure and the waterentering at the top; and it consists in certain specialties ofconstruction and in combinations which will clearly appear from thedescription below. The apparatus is also adapted for using it as awasher on one side of it and as a scrubber at its other side, and thecasing may be built square-round, or otherwise, as circumstances orlocation may require.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a central vertical section of oneform of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a cross-section on theline A B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top view, enlarged, of one of thediaphragms and its perforated hinged plate; Fig. 4, a central section ofthe same and'with the hinged plate shown in dotted line as when raised;Fig. 5, a section enlarged and in perspective showing the relativepositions of the upper and lower portions of the several diaphragms;Fig. 6, a side view, enlarged, of the lower portion of the diaphragm;and Fig. 7,a top View of the same enlarged.

A indicates the case; B, the gas-inlet; O, the water-inlet; D, thegas-outlet, and E the water-outlet.

lVithin the case I make a number of partitions of special construction,placed one above the other, and each adapted to serve as a water seal.They are each composed of an upper diaphragm F, extending more than halfway across the case, as shown, having a down weirdly-projecting flangef, and of a lower diaphragm G, extending from the opposite side of thecase and reaching more than half way across it, and having anupwardly-prodcrial No 547,036. (Io model.)

jecting flange g, this flange g reaching, as shown, to a height somewhathigher than the lower edge of the flange f, so that when the lowerdiaphragm G is filled with water flange f shall dip into the water, thusmaking a water seal. Every other one of these partitions has itsdiaphragm G at one side of the case and the remainder at the oppositeside, as shown. Each diaphragm F has hinged to its flange atha sealedperforated segmental plate H, whose outer or curved edge rests, asshown,on a suitable support on the case, this plate being in a planesomewhat lower than that of the top edge of the flange g.

I make suitable manholes in the case in front of each section for easyaccess thereto for the purpose of cleaning, as shown in dotted lines at'm in Fig. l, and by raising the hinged perforated plates this cleaningof each section can be easily done without removing any part. The numberof the diaphragrns may be as many as desired.

A pipe L outside of the case is connected severally with thewater-holding diaphragms on one side of the case, and another pipe Ksimilarly connects with the corresponding water-holding diaphragms onthe other side of the case, each pipe having suitable valves Z Z, eachof these pipes being adapted to discharge as need be inside the case ata point below one of the lowermost diaphragms.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol lows: Water having entered atthe inlet 0 to fill successively each of the lower diaphragms orwater-chambers G by reason of the overflow of the top one, when filledto the sealingliue, dropping to the next diaphragm G, and so onsuccessively till all are sealed. The gas is now permitted to enterthrough gasinlet B, and by reason of the water sealing must follow theonly course left for it, as indicated by the arrowsthat is, first upand, say, to the right,over the ledge g of the lower diaphragm G, thencedownward into the wa ter therein, thence under the ledge f, and upwardthrough the perforated sealed plate H, upon which water may becontinually dropping, as shown,fron1 the diaphragm next above it. Thegas continuing upward must now turn to the left to enter the water inthe second diaphragm, and thence through it and forations D of thisdiaphragm, and so on successively with each and allof the diaphragmsuntil its final escape through the gas'outlet D.

WVhen in full operation, it will be understood that the entering gas inpassing to the first section or diaphragm is carried under the strongestliquornamely, that in the bottom diaphrag1n-and the water entering atthetop being clean the gas in traveling to the top becomes thoroughlywashed and cleansed from ammonia and deprived of a good portion of thecarbonic acid and sulphureted hydrogen.

By opening all the valves Z on one side of the case the water is allowedto pass out from all the water-holders G at that side and unseal all thepartitions at that side, while at the same time the valves on the otherside remaining closed the partitions at that side remain sealed, andthereby the apparatus at once becomes a Washer at one side and ascrubber at the other.

The Whole structure is a simple, cheap, and effective washer-scrubberfor all small gasworks.

I claim- 1. A gas-scrubber having within its case, a series ofhorizontal partitions one above the other, each composed of an upper anda lower flanged diaphragm as set forth extending from opposite sides ofthe case to and beyond its center, the upper one having a perforatedplate reaching from its flange to the Wall of the case, and such flangedipping into the lower diaphragm below its highest water line, allsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a gas-scrubber partition composed of the parts F and G projectingfrom opposite sides of the case and having the ledgesf' and grespectively the ledge f extending downward below the upper edge of gand forming a seal,a perforated plate hinged near the center of the caseto the part F, all substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the case and with its gas inlet and outlet, thedescribed series of upper diaphragms having each a ledge f to form aseal, the perforated plates and water-chambers, all located alternatelyat opposite sides of the case, and the pipes Z Z at opposite sides ofthe case, each of said pipes connecting with said alternatewater-chambers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the casing and its described flanged partitions,the upper flange being adapted to dip into Water to make a water seal,the described series of perforated plates each hinged near the center ofthe case and each constituting a part of a diaphragm, and locatedalternately at opposite sides of the case and in proximity to themanholes, all substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the case and its diaphragms, and their ledges gand f, the latter serving to form a seal, the perforated plates, thepipes at opposite sides of the case and each connected to alternatewater trays located on opposite sides of the case, and valves in saidpipes, and whereby upon opening all the valves in one of said pipes, theapparatus is made to serve as a washer at one side, and as a scrubber atthe opposite side, all substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM TRACY.

itnesses:

J. W. ILANCK, ED. C CARROLL.

